Question: "Where is hell? What is the location of hell?"

Answer: Various theories on the location of hell have been
put forward. A traditional view is that hell is in the center
of the earth. Others propose that hell is located in outer
space in a black hole. In the Old Testament, the word
translated “hell” is Sheol ; in the New Testament, it’s Hades
(meaning “unseen”) and Gehenna (“the Valley of Hinnom”).
Sheol is also translated as “pit” and “grave.” Both Sheol and
Hades refer to a temporary abode of the dead before
judgment (Psalm 9:17 ; Revelation 1:18 ). Gehenna refers to
an eternal state of punishment for the wicked dead (Mark
9:43 ).
The idea that hell is below us, perhaps in the center of the
earth, comes from passages such as Luke 10:15 : “And
thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be
thrust down to hell” (KJV). Also, in 1 Samuel 28:13-15 , the
medium of Endor sees the spirit of Samuel “coming up out
of the ground.” We should note, however, that neither of
these passages is concerned with the geographic location
of hell. Capernaum’s being thrust “down” is probably a
reference to their being condemned rather than a physical
direction. And the medium’s vision of Samuel was just
that: a vision.
In the King James Version, Ephesians 4:9 says that before
Jesus ascended into heaven, “he also descended . . . into
the lower parts of the earth.” Some Christians take “the
lower parts of the earth” as a reference to hell, where they
say Jesus spent the time between His death and
resurrection. However, the New International Version gives
a better translation: “he also descended to the lower,
earthly regions.” This verse simply says that Jesus came
to earth. It’s a reference to His incarnation, not to His
location after death.
The notion that hell is somewhere in outer space, possibly
in a black hole, is based on the knowledge that black holes
are places of great heat and pressure from which nothing,
not even light, can escape. Surprisingly, this concept of hell
is presented in the 1979 Walt Disney film The Black Hole.
Near the movie’s end, all the characters pass through a
black hole. On the other side, the villain finds himself in a
fiery place of torment, while the other characters enjoy
disembodied bliss. It’s interesting that a Disney movie
would include a depiction of hell, but it’s best not to base
our theology on movies!
Another speculation is that the earth itself will be the “lake
of fire” spoken of in Revelation 20:10-15 . When the earth is
destroyed by fire (2 Peter 3:10 ; Revelation 21:1 ), the theory
goes, God will use that burning sphere as the everlasting
place of torment for the ungodly. Again, this is mere
speculation.
To sum up, Scripture does not tell us the geological (or
cosmological) location of hell. Hell is a literal place of real
torment, but we do not know where it is. Hell may have a
physical location in this universe, or it may be in an entirely
different “dimension.” Whatever the case, the location of
hell is far less important than the need to avoid going
there.
Recommended Resources: Four Views on Hell edited by
John Walvoord and Logos Bible Software.